Proposed Boundary Expansion for the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 14315-14316 [2021-05285]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 48 / Monday, March 15, 2021 / Notices attrition occur at a higher rate than expected, the study goals will not be met. (2) There is burden on the respondent to take time out of their workday in many cases. There will be equity in the use of remuneration: All respondents will be treated equally with regard to incentives. cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Sheleen Dumas, Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department. [FR Doc. 2021–05226 Filed 3–12–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–13–P III. Data OMB Control Number: New collection. Form Number(s): None. Type of Review: Regular submission. Affected Public: Individuals or households; first responders; businesses or other for-profit organizations; not-forprofit institutions; State, local or tribal government; Federal government; Standards-making bodies; Universities. Estimated Number of Respondents: 48,000. Estimated Time per Response: Varied, dependent upon the data collection method used. The possible response time may be 15 minutes to complete a questionnaire or 2 hours to participate in an interview. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 15,000. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES IV. Request for Comments We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:36 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 253001 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648–XA928] Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South Atlantic Fishery Management Council—Public Meetings National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Workshops for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Citizen Science Program’s Customizable Citizen Science Mobile Application. AGENCY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Citizen Science Program will hold three workshops via webinar to assist in the development of a customizable citizen science mobile application. DATES: The workshops via webinar will be held on Thursday, April 1, 2021 from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 14, 2021 from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, April 20, 2021 from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meetings will be held via webinar. The webinars are open to members of the public. Those interested in participating should contact Julia Byrd (see Contact Information below) to request an invitation providing webinar access information. Please request webinar invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each webinar. There will be an opportunity for public comment during the meeting. Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N Charleston, SC 29405. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Byrd, Citizen Science Program Manager, SAFMC; phone 843/302–8433 or toll free 866/SAFMC–10; FAX 843/769– 4520; email: julia.byrd@safmc.net. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The role of citizen science is an evolving and potentially powerful tool to better understand marine fish populations. With that in mind, the South Atlantic SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14315 Fishery Management Council’s Citizen Science Program has partnered with the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to develop a mobile application that encourages and supports the capture and sharing of information about Atlantic coast fish. The workshops will be interactive, facilitated meetings with invited participants to refine the design of the customizable citizen science mobile application. Items of discussion for the workshops are as follows: 1. Clarify and align around the most useful information that could be generated through a citizen science mobile application and identify what questions need to be asked to gather that information. 2. Identify overlaps between the questions identified to determine what common sets of data may be required to answer them. 3. Develop an outline structure for the mobile application that incorporates research needs, useability issues, and positive feedback loops. The meeting end times are subject to change depending on attendance and discussions. Special Accommodations These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) 5 days prior to the meeting. Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: March 10, 2021. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2021–05302 Filed 3–12–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Boundary Expansion for the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of proposed boundary expansion and availability of a draft AGENCY: E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 15MRN1 14316 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 48 / Monday, March 15, 2021 / Notices environmental assessment; request for comments. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering a request to expand the boundary of the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Narragansett Bay NERR or the Reserve) and is soliciting comments from the public on the proposed boundary expansion. The public is also invited to comment on the draft environmental assessment for the proposed boundary expansion. SUMMARY: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) on or before April 14, 2021. ADDRESSES: The draft environmental assessment describing the proposed boundary expansion can be downloaded or viewed at coast.noaa.gov/czm/ compliance/. The document is also available by sending a written request to the point of contact identified below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You may submit comments by any of the following methods: Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments by email to Adrianne.Harrison@noaa.gov. Mail: Submit written comments to Patmarie S. Nedelka, Office for Coastal Management, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Comments submitted by any other method or after the comment period may not be considered. All comments are part of the public record and may be publicly accessible. Any personal identifying information (e.g., name or address) submitted voluntarily by the sender may also be accessible. NOAA will accept anonymous comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrianne Harrison of NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management on contract with Lynker Inc, by email at Adrianne.Harrison@noaa.gov, phone at 603–862–4272, or mail at: Patmarie S. Nedelka, Office for Coastal Management, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES I. Background The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, as lead agency for managing the Narragansett Bay NERR, has requested approval to expand the reserve’s geographic boundary by adding 1 new parcel to the existing approved boundary. Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(a), NOAA may require public notice, including notice in the Federal Register and an opportunity for VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:36 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 253001 public comment, before approving a boundary or management plan change. In addition, boundary changes involving the acquisition of properties not listed in the reserve’s management plan or final environmental impact statement require public notice and the opportunity for comment. Since the Little Property parcel was not evaluated in the reserve’s original environmental impact statement, NOAA has developed an environmental assessment to analyze the effects of the requested change, and is publishing notice of the availability of this assessment for public review and comment. II. NOAA Proposed Action and Alternatives NOAA is releasing a draft environmental assessment, prepared in accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508). NOAA’s proposed action would be to approve a change in the boundary of the Narragansett Bay NERR to add 1 parcels to the current boundary. The draft environmental assessment identifies and assesses potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed boundary expansion, and identifies a preferred alternative and a no action alternative. The preferred alternative would add 1 parcels to the reserve’s boundary, which would result in a net increase in size of 103 acres. As a result, NOAA believes the proposed boundary expansion would (1) fill in a gap in the Narragansett Bay NERR near the center of Prudence Island, (2) provide a more encompassing area for the Reserve’s research, monitoring, and education programs, and (3) provide an opportunity for more coordination and integrated ecosystem management that would help the Reserve attain its mission of practicing and promoting coastal and estuarine stewardship through innovative research and education, using a system of protected areas. Therefore, NOAA prefers the proposed boundary expansion over the no action alternative. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 CFR 921.33. Keelin S. Kuipers, Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [FR Doc. 2021–05285 Filed 3–12–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Review of Nomination for Lake Erie Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In May 2020, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration requested written comments to facilitate ONMS review of the nomination for Lake Erie Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary (NMS). NOAA requested relevant information as it pertains to the 11 national significance criteria and management considerations that NOAA applied to evaluate the Lake Erie Quadrangle NMS nomination for inclusion in the national inventory of areas that NOAA may consider for future designation as a national marine sanctuary. NOAA has synthesized the information gathered through the public process, completed an internal analysis, and the ONMS Director has made a final determination that the Lake Erie Quadrangle NMS nomination will remain in the inventory beyond the February 22, 2021 expiration date. DATES: This determination took effect on February 22, 2021. ADDRESSES: Ellen Brody, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, 4840 South State Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 or at ellen.brody@noaa.gov, 734–741–2270, and at https://nominate.noaa.gov/ nominations/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brody, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, 4840 South State Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 or at ellen.brody@ noaa.gov, 734–741–2270. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Background Information In 2014, NOAA issued a final rule establishing the sanctuary nomination process (SNP), a process by which communities may submit nominations of areas of the marine and Great Lakes environment for NOAA to consider for designation as a national marine sanctuary (79 FR 33851). The final rule establishing the SNP included a fiveyear limit on any nomination added to the inventory that NOAA does not advance for designation. The nomination for Lake Erie Quadrangle NMS was accepted to the national E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 15MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 48 (Monday, March 15, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14315-14316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05285]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Boundary Expansion for the Narragansett Bay National 
Estuarine Research Reserve

AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of proposed boundary expansion and availability of a 
draft

[[Page 14316]]

environmental assessment; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 
considering a request to expand the boundary of the Narragansett Bay 
National Estuarine Research Reserve (Narragansett Bay NERR or the 
Reserve) and is soliciting comments from the public on the proposed 
boundary expansion. The public is also invited to comment on the draft 
environmental assessment for the proposed boundary expansion.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see 
ADDRESSES) on or before April 14, 2021.

ADDRESSES: The draft environmental assessment describing the proposed 
boundary expansion can be downloaded or viewed at coast.noaa.gov/czm/compliance/. The document is also available by sending a written 
request to the point of contact identified below (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).
    You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments by 
email to [email protected].
    Mail: Submit written comments to Patmarie S. Nedelka, Office for 
Coastal Management, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM, 10th Floor, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910.
    Comments submitted by any other method or after the comment period 
may not be considered. All comments are part of the public record and 
may be publicly accessible. Any personal identifying information (e.g., 
name or address) submitted voluntarily by the sender may also be 
accessible. NOAA will accept anonymous comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrianne Harrison of NOAA's Office for 
Coastal Management on contract with Lynker Inc, by email at 
[email protected], phone at 603-862-4272, or mail at: Patmarie 
S. Nedelka, Office for Coastal Management, 1305 East-West Highway, N/
ORM, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, as lead 
agency for managing the Narragansett Bay NERR, has requested approval 
to expand the reserve's geographic boundary by adding 1 new parcel to 
the existing approved boundary. Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(a), NOAA may 
require public notice, including notice in the Federal Register and an 
opportunity for public comment, before approving a boundary or 
management plan change. In addition, boundary changes involving the 
acquisition of properties not listed in the reserve's management plan 
or final environmental impact statement require public notice and the 
opportunity for comment. Since the Little Property parcel was not 
evaluated in the reserve's original environmental impact statement, 
NOAA has developed an environmental assessment to analyze the effects 
of the requested change, and is publishing notice of the availability 
of this assessment for public review and comment.

II. NOAA Proposed Action and Alternatives

    NOAA is releasing a draft environmental assessment, prepared in 
accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), and the Council 
on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). NOAA's proposed action 
would be to approve a change in the boundary of the Narragansett Bay 
NERR to add 1 parcels to the current boundary.
    The draft environmental assessment identifies and assesses 
potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed boundary 
expansion, and identifies a preferred alternative and a no action 
alternative. The preferred alternative would add 1 parcels to the 
reserve's boundary, which would result in a net increase in size of 103 
acres. As a result, NOAA believes the proposed boundary expansion would 
(1) fill in a gap in the Narragansett Bay NERR near the center of 
Prudence Island, (2) provide a more encompassing area for the Reserve's 
research, monitoring, and education programs, and (3) provide an 
opportunity for more coordination and integrated ecosystem management 
that would help the Reserve attain its mission of practicing and 
promoting coastal and estuarine stewardship through innovative research 
and education, using a system of protected areas. Therefore, NOAA 
prefers the proposed boundary expansion over the no action alternative.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 CFR 921.33.

Keelin S. Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-05285 Filed 3-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P

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